Colours
by Ash-Varnei
Summary: Series of oneshots written for tumblr Pepperony Week. Including: Tony takes a bullet, Piano feels, Pepper teasing Tony, the Importance of date night, Iron Man 3 feels, Immortality AU and Tony's robot family.
1. Red (the colour of his blood)

Tony didn't mean to get shot.

()

Stark Industries was holding a press conference. Not that Tony remembered what it was for, he'd just been dragged along by Pepper. So he stood on stage while she talked, lounging against the back wall, and of course, not paying attention.

He let his gaze wander through the crowd, working out who he recognised, who he wished he didn't recognise, glancing back towards Pepper occasionally to check that she hadn't noticed that he wasn't actually hanging on her every word like the reporters were. God, he was bored.

His inattention was probably a good thing, in hindsight.

Tony saw the flicker of movement from the back, the man in the black uniform. He diverted his gaze towards him inconspicuously, in time to see the gun being pulled. He heard the click as it was cocked, saw the aim pointing towards Pepper... Tony acted without thinking, diving towards Pepper to push her out of the way. Not Pepper. Please not Pepper.  
Pain blossomed in his shoulder and his chest, almost before he heard the two shots. Ow. Shit. That wasn't meant to happen.

Pepper screamed.

Tony kept falling, hitting the stage hard. There were screams, yells, thundering footsteps. Someone was calling an ambulance. Happy was bending over him, hands on his chest... Ow, that hurt. Yelling at him to stay awake. To keep his eyes open. He sounded distant... And when had Pepper started moving in slow motion? Tony blinked at her and tried to say something. He didn't remember falling asleep.

()

Tony was getting tired of waking up in hospital. Still, given what had happened, he supposed he should be glad to be waking up at all. He assumed there were large amounts of drugs pumping through him as the pain in his chest had subsided to a persistent ache. He could feel Pepper's hand in his and he squeezed it weakly as he opened his eyes.

Everything was fuzzy to start with, but he focused in on the blurry redheaded shape next to him until it became Pepper. He eyes were red, and her anxious expression made Tony's heart clench.

He smiled weakly. "Hey, honey."

"You're an idiot." Pepper's voice was steady, but she had a death grip on his hand that told a different story.

"I know, this is going to leave a scar," Tony agreed solemnly, eyes light with mischief. "You don't mind do you? Scars are sexy, right?"

Pepper closed her eyes, taking a calming breath, and for a second Tony wondered if he'd made a mistake.

"Sexy or not, you've made sure there's going to be very little of _that_ happening for a while," she finally answered.

Tony grinned. And then realised what she'd said, and frowned. "Damn. Ugh. What did I do that for?"

Pepper shook her head. "Because you're an idiot. Don't you ever do that again, Tony Stark." This time her voice did shake slightly, and Tony sighed, looking away.

"Not exactly my idea of a fun day out either." He squeezed her hand again. "But better me than you, right?"

"Tony-"

"No," he interrupted, determined. "No, don't you dare deny that. I won't let you." His eyes met hers, trying to make her understand. He couldn't put into words how much this mattered, how she was worth far, far more than him. "I _need_ you to be okay."

"Tony..." Pepper looked like she wanted to argue and her blue eyes were filled with tears again, making Tony look down. But in the end she just lifted his hand, kissing his knuckles. "I need you to be okay too."

Tony swallowed, and curled the corner of his mouth up. "I'll try not to get shot again."

"I think that's one of your better ideas."


	2. White (the colour of the keys)

When Pepper had started working for Tony, she'd assumed that the piano in the little alcove off the front room was for show. It was an expensive grand piano, and Tony Stark was an extravagant billionaire who probably only owned a piano to impress any musically inclined ladies he brought home.

Yet a couple of months in to her new job, Obie had come in, bearing unpleasant news concerning some contracts. When she'd told him that Tony was still in the shower, the older man had sat down at the piano instead of on the couch, and had started playing something classical. It was well played, but there was something forced in the music. Tony had wandered out five minutes later, and commented on the 'caterwauling'. That had convinced Pepper that Tony had no interest in the piano.

()

Then one day she entered the house to hear soft chords of slow jazz echoing through the house. She walked into the room, curious, and stopped short in the doorway. Tony was sat at the piano, head down and eyes closed, lost in the music. There was something magical around him that made Pepper feel breathless. This was the man behind the mask.

She watched in silence as he played, and he was halfway through a second song when he looked up suddenly, and saw Pepper stood there. His eyes widened and he broke off mid-note. Pepper had never seen Tony embarrassed before, but now it looked like he was actually blushing.

"I didn't realise you played," Pepper said, to excuse her staring.

Tony smiled, but there was nothing sarcastic or teasing or forced in his expression. He ran his fingers over the white keys lightly, eyes soft. "I don't, much." He paused, glancing up at Pepper, meeting her gaze. "You like it?"

Somehow, that question felt far more personal than any of his flirting, the inappropriate queries she normally ignored.

"It was beautiful," she answered honestly. Tony looked almost embarrassed again, but somehow pleased as well, and his eyes were bright with joy. It was a look Pepper had never seen before. It suited him.

"I might have to play for you again sometime then," he said, voice soft and genuine.

Pepper gave him a small smile. "I'd like that."

()

By chance, Pepper found out that Rhodey didn't know that Tony played either. They were both at the mansion one night, both trying to cajole Tony into doing some work. As Tony stepped out to get something from the kitchen, Rhodey caught her staring at the instrument.

He grinned. "Don't ask me why he has that thing. I'm not even sure he knows how to play it."

Pepper almost opened her mouth to tell Rhodey that he did, but in the corner of her eye she caught Tony standing in the doorway, not moving to re-enter the room. Waiting tensely.

Pepper reacted instinctively, and shrugged at Rhodey. "Obadiah plays," she answered instead.

Tony smiled at her as he stepped close again, something she couldn't interpret in his expression. She didn't fully understand why she hadn't told Rhodey of Tony's musical skills. But it felt private, the moment she'd shared with Tony. And she felt privileged to know he had shared something with her that he hadn't even told his best friend. She wondered why he let her know, and not anyone else.

For years, the moments when Tony played were the ones Pepper treasured the most.

And later, when they finally pulled themselves together, after Iron Man, Tony would sing for her too.


	3. Green (the colour of her dress)

The power couple of Stark Industries had spent the evening at a charity ball. Now Tony was driving them home. He was focusing on the road, if only to stop his mind wandering to other places...

Pepper had come downstairs that evening in a dress that had Tony's mouth going dry. It was backless, like a certain blue birthday present, but it was emerald green and more form fitting. While actually being entirely appropriate for the respectable CEO, in Tony's eyes it left very little to the imagination.  
And he was convinced that she'd been teasing him all night. She would catch him staring at her, smirk, and go back to chatting with whichever smarmy investor was currently sucking up to her. That, coupled with all the men (and a few women) who he saw checking _his_ girlfriend out not so subtlety, had Tony's blood pressure raised already.  
When Pepper had taken a bathroom break, he'd cornered her outside the ballroom, tugged her into his arms and kissed her hard, pouring all his pent-up frustration into the kiss. Pepper had pushed Tony back against the wall and returned the kiss with the same enthusiasm, much to Tony's delight. That was, until she'd broken the passionate kiss, run a hand down Tony's thigh, and then smiled at him. She disappeared back into the ballroom, hips swaying, highlighting the cut of the dress and leaving Tony confused and desperately turned on.  
It had taken him five minutes to calm down before he'd dared return to the ballroom.

And finally he'd managed to drag her away from the party and into his car, speeding home with only one thing on his mind. Or rather, trying to keep that one thing off his mind.  
"Did you enjoy yourself sweetheart?" Pepper asked innocently.  
Tony glanced at her, but he could see no smirk or mischief in her gaze.  
"Yeah, yeah, it was great," he said distractedly, looking back to the road.  
"Really?" Pepper sounded sceptical. "I don't know, you were looking a bit flustered for a while there. Are you feeling okay?"  
She was definitely doing this on purpose.  
Tony nodded shortly, trying to keep his mind off of those thoughts. "Fine."  
"Are you sure?" Pepper asked sweetly, sounding for all the world like a doting, concerned girlfriend.  
Tony knew differently, especially when she placed a hand on his thigh.  
He made a strangled noise and glanced at her. "Pepper... You have no idea. You... In that dress... You're torturing me," he said hoarsely.  
He caught Pepper's smile out of the corner of his eye. "I have no idea?" she asked, her voice still deceptively innocent. Her hand crept higher up Tony's leg. "Is this too torturous for you, honey?"  
Tony sucked in a sharp breath, hands tightening on the steering wheel. "I'm gonna crash the goddamn car, Pep," he complained, his heart racing in his chest.  
"I thought you had better control than that, Stark..." Pepper teased, her hand moving higher still, making Tony groan and swear.  
Needless to say, once they'd reached the garage, they didn't make it any further before Tony lost control and practically tore away the dress that had been teasing him all night.


	4. Gold (the colour of the blanket)

Tony was halfway across the world on Wednesday, fighting. On Thursday, still fighting. They fought through most of Thursday night too.  
Friday night was date night, and if Tony didn't want to miss it, he had twelve hours to get back to New York.  
The flight would take eight hours, Tony calculated. "Four hours to wrap this up," he informed the team as he narrowly missed being squashed by a flying lump of concrete. "Hey, big green, trying aiming a little better."  
Hulk grunted in reply.  
"Four hours? God, I hope so," Clint muttered, sounding just as exhausted as the rest of them.  
"Bot on your left, Widow. Any particular reason, Stark?" Cap asked conversationally as he hurled his shield in time to deflect an incoming winged bot.  
"Got a date," Tony said shortly, most of his concentration on the robot he was straining to hold above the street. Thor blasted it with lightning and the whole thing fell apart. "Thanks buddy. Pepper will be pissed if I'm late," he added, flying across to grab Clint as he toppled off a building.  
"We'd better wrap this up then," Natasha agreed. The importance of date night to Tony was something his team all recognised.

With Pepper and Tony's hectic schedules, incorporating two divisions of SI, Iron Man, SHIELD (or its new equivalent), and all the various and sundries involved with being Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, date night had to be scheduled carefully, and treasured just as much. Date night was not put on hold for anything short of a catastrophe. Interruptions were not appreciated.  
Being so definitely scheduled left Tony, the romantic at heart, even if he was useless in execution, plenty of time to plan big gestures - trips and fancy restaurants and any form of entertainment in New York that being a billionaire could afford. It was part of Tony trying to say that he would do anything for Pepper.

Of course, she already knew that. But she could appreciate the sentiment.

The battle took just over four hours in the end. The second it was confirmed that the battle was over, Tony poured power into his thrusters and zoomed away. Jarvis navigated, so the flight back to New York wasn't even difficult.  
The problem was, that fighting for practically 48 hours straight was a bit tricky when one wanted to go on a date immediately. Tony didn't like to sleep in the suit, not after his crash landing in Tennessee.  
So by the time he got home - on time for the date, admittedly - he was in no state to do anything.  
Pepper was waiting in the lounge and she smiled as she saw Tony. Tony smiled back, despite the bruises and aches and strains and exhaustion. He couldn't not smile when Pepper looked at him like that.  
But he took four steps out of the suit and his vision blurred, his legs giving out under him.  
He blinked up at Pepper from the floor, vaguely registering her shock as she leaped towards him. "Well fuck," was all he managed, before his vision darkened completely.

He woke up with his head cushioned in Pepper's lap, lying comfortably on the couch, a golden blanket covering them both. With no serious physical problems that sleep wouldn't solve, medical treatment wasn't required.  
"Hey, you're awake." Pepper smiled softly at him.  
Tony smiled but looked at her sorrowfully. "Guess I copped out on date night then," he murmured apologetically. He didn't like letting Pepper down. But he could hardly go out like this.  
Yet Pepper was still smiling. "Date night doesn't have to mean going out," she reminded him. "This can be our date night."  
Tony blinked up at her. "Movie and cuddling, Potts?" It wasn't exactly what he'd imagined. But eventually he grinned sleepily, his expression grateful. He was sure he couldn't manage anything else. "You're easy to please, Pep."  
She arched an eyebrow, but smiled at him. "Just don't fall asleep on me, Stark."  
Tony made an indignant noise and shifted to hold her, practically wrapping himself around her as she started the movie.  
Tony did fall asleep. Pepper forgave him. After all, watching Tony sleep so peacefully was rare.

And Jarvis got some good blackmail material.


	5. Orange (the colour of the fire)

Tony thought Pepper was dead for four minutes.

Her hand brushed his as she fell into smoke and flames and he could only watch in horror. Her face and her scream would haunt his nightmares for as long as he lived. They already echoed in his mind. His eyes stung with unshed tears.

_He'd broken his promise. He'd lost Pepper. Pepper was dead._ It all circled around his head like a mantra, deafening him. Fuelling him.

Killing Aldrich Killian was his only focus then, and he threw himself into that goal completely, caring little whether he lived or died. Heat and explosions blazed around him, Killian a blur of orange as they fought. Metal burnt Tony's skin, _he'd broken his promise, _ every hit bruising, _he'd lost Pepper,_ every attack straining muscles, _Pepper was dead._ The pain didn't register. That part of his brain had shut down.

_He didn't deserve her._

But after he'd blown up the madman... He had nothing. _He'd broken his promise. _No purpose. _He'd lost Pepper. _And no one else left to blame for Pepper's death but him. _Pepper was dead._ The concrete was hard and unforgiving beneath his battered body, but he couldn't move. He'd never felt so numb in his life. It didn't hurt. There was too much pain for it to hurt. There was just... nothing. The whole rig was on fire but Tony had never felt so cold.

Except even now it wasn't over. Killian reformed in front of his eyes, his body glowing brilliant orange through the blackened, burnt skin. Tony didn't have the energy to move, to react, he could only stare at Killian in numb fear and horror. His own death didn't scare him now. He had nothing left to lose. He would die, and he would welcome it, because Pepper...

A goddess rose from the flames and saved him, an avenging angel with fire in her eyes. The self professed mandarin would not harm Tony Stark on her watch.

Four minutes and twenty five seconds. "I got nothing."


	6. Black (the colour of death)

Tony Stark is immortal.

They call Thor immortal, but that's not true. Thor is only immortal in comparison to humans. Thor can and will die, just a few thousand years later than everyone else.

Except Tony. Because Tony can't die.

Well, okay, that's not quite true either. Tony can die. He just doesn't stay dead.

At least, that's what the man with the long coat told him when he was six. Tony hadn't believed him at the time.

When he was twenty-three, he was stabbed by a woman in a hotel room. Thankfully, she was already gone by the time he woke up, and Tony was left to wake up in blood soaked bedsheets without a wound and panic.

Two years later he was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. The doctors told him he was extremely lucky, that his heart had stopped beating for a moment but they'd managed to resuscitate him. Tony wondered.

No one else was there when he died in an explosion in his lab, the toxic chemicals killing him before he had a chance to react. Only his own security cameras caught the footage of him waking up again in a flaming lab, completely unharmed. The footage was destroyed and Jarvis would never betray his secret.

After that, Tony started taking more notice. He'd accepted that he couldn't die – although he wasn't planning on testing that any more than necessary. Injuries didn't last long either. He burnt half the skin off his hand once, and watched as it grew back in less than an hour. After that, he started being more careful. People would notice, one day, and then he'd be locked up, experimented on. He was a freak, and he couldn't trust anyone with his secret.

He died in Afghanistan when the bomb hit. He died on the operating table in the cave when they were digging into his chest. He died once in the desert of dehydration and was close to dying a second time when Rhodey found him.

He died on the rooftop when the arc reactor blew, just about gasping back into life by the time Pepper reached him.

The arc reactor in his chest caused the most problems. He couldn't get rid of it without revealing his secret. And then the damn thing started killing him slowly and painfully through palladium poisoning. He didn't actually die, he cured it first. But people had noticed.

He would never forget the day that Pepper found out.

()

He'd been on a mission in the Middle East, and he was losing blood fast. He told Jarvis to get him home, so that he could die without anyone realising.

Except Pepper was at home. He was soaked in blood when he finally got the suit off, his skin deathly white, and he crumpled to his knees.

He heard Pepper before he saw her. "Tony! Oh my god, Tony! Jarvis, call an ambulance. Tony, look at me! Where's the wound, what happened...?"

Her hands were pulling at his clothes and Tony forced his eyes open, his heart clenching as he saw the tears on her face. "No ambulance," he muttered, hearing Jarvis acquiesce. He grabbed Pepper's hand before she could tug his t-shirt away from the bloody wound, squeezing it weakly. "S'okay..."

"No, Tony, no..." Pepper interrupted, before Tony could explain. "You'll be okay, you have to be okay..." She was almost sobbing now.

Tony's vision blurred. "No, s'okay..." He took a deep breath. "''M'sorry, I didn't tell you..." His world blacked out to the sound of her sobbing.

He woke with a gasp, his body aching terribly for a moment, as it always did, his lungs burning for air, before he noticed his surroundings. He was covered in his own blood still, and he was lying half in Pepper's lap. And she was staring at him.

Tony groaned, sitting up. "How long was I out?"

Pepper was frozen, mouth open as she stared. "You... you died..." she said, voice shaking.

"Ten minutes, sir," Jarvis added.

Tony winced, turning to face Pepper. "Yeah. I... I can't die." He wasn't going to lie to her now, but he looked down at the floor.

Pepper didn't answer, and Tony's stomach churned with nerves. She was going to hate him, she was going to leave him, this was it, he was a freak...

"You what?"

"I can't die. Well, obviously I can. I just did. I just... I don't stay dead. I don't know why. But I mean, it's happened enough times now that I'm pretty certain..."

"Tony." The tone of Pepper's voice forced him to look up.

"I'm sorry," he added lamely.

She frowned at that. "You're sorry that you didn't die?"

"What? No, of course not." Tony made a face. "That I didn't tell you."

There was a long moment of silence, and Tony watched as Pepper tried to process this.

"So... a couple of months ago? You weren't actually dying then?" she asked carefully, and Tony can hear her confusion.

"I, well, I was dying. But I'd have come back. I assume. But I never know. I mean, I don't know if this lasts forever or if I've only got a hundred chances or something. I didn't know how to tell you."

"Yeah, I can see why you didn't tell me." But Tony could tell she was still hurt, and he looked up quickly.

"It's not you Pep, I promise. Nobody knows." He shifted closer to her, to pull her into his arms, but she shied back.

Tony froze, his heart sinking. This was too much for her. He was a freak. He'd lost her. He sat back on his heels, looking down and trying not to cry. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "Just, look, please don't tell anyone. I'll keep out of your way. You don't have to see me again. I'll sort something out..."

"Wha—Tony, no. I'm not breaking up with you!" She sounded horrified, and Tony looked up, hope blazing suddenly again.

"You... you're not?"

Pepper smiled slightly. "No. I mean, we have to talk about this. There is... this is huge. But no."

"I love you." It was the first time he'd said it out loud, and he blinked at her in surprise. He didn't register Pepper moving, but a second later she was in his arms and they were clinging to each other. "I love you too, moron."

()

Tony died in New York. Hulk's roar was timed perfectly and everyone thought that that had resuscitated him. That wasn't what had scared him and Pepper. No, it was the thought that if he hadn't fallen back through the portal he would have been floating in space for all eternity, returning to life only to die instantly without oxygen. He couldn't stay in New York after that.

Tony knew that one day, Pepper would die and he'd be left on his own for as long as he lived. He was determined to make sure that didn't happen early, that she lived as long as she could. He had to protect the one thing he didn't want to live without.

Then he failed to catch her and she fell into fire. They thought it was extremis that had saved her.

A year later, after Tony had gotten rid of the extremis, there was a sniper. A bullet whistled through the open window in their vacation house and Pepper fell.

Barely three minutes later, she woke up in Tony's arms with a gasp.

Living forever wasn't something Tony had been looking forward too.

Forever with Pepper... well, that was something he could get used to.


	7. Blue (the colour of their eyes)

Tony's family is unconventional; he knows that.

First and foremost there's Pepper.

Rhodey and Happy. His best friends, his brothers.

Jarvis, the snarky little brother.

And his boys, Dummy and You.

()

It took him weeks of painstaking work to rebuild Dummy and You, _just the way they were._ It was days and nights sat on the workshop floor. This time, Pepper didn't mind when Tony stayed up until the small hours of the morning, she understood about the bots. Instead she sat, watching, as Tony lovingly cleaned and repaired and restored his boys, doing everything by hand, checking and re-checking until he was satisfied.

She was sat behind him when Tony finally finished, his hands running over the metal nervously as Jarvis completed the back-ups and they finally switched the bots on again.

Tony knelt on the floor next to them as they whirred back into life. There was a moment of quiet as they looked around their surroundings, and then they were chirping and pulling at Tony's shirt, bumping up against him and each other in their affectionate way. Tony was murmuring quietly to them. Dummy had a panic as he noticed the blue light gone from Tony's chest, until Tony caught his arm, his fingers rubbing over the sensors gently as he explained quietly that he didn't need the arc reactor any more. You pulled away from the pile first, arm circling for a moment as he looked around before he rolled over to Pepper, nudging at her, and she patted him gently. You had always liked Pepper best, after Tony of course. Those bots adored Tony. And Tony adored them in return.

Tony came to sit at her feet as the bots rolled away to explore the new workshop, and Pepper smiled, brushing the tears off his cheeks and giving him a light kiss. "They're okay." She was reassuring herself as much as him.

Tony tilted his head backwards to smile at her, something grateful in his expression. "Yeah." He squeezed her hand tightly. "Our boys are okay."

()

The next day Pepper received a phone call at eleven o'clock. "Tony, I'm in the middle of a meeting-"

"What are your feelings about having kids?"

"What? Tony, why- No, we're not having this conversation right now..."

Tony made a protesting noise at the other end. "We, uh, we might have to..." He sounded harried, and Pepper frowned.

"Tony, what have you done?"

"Me! It wasn't... I didn't... Dummy, no!" There was a clatter as he dropped the phone, and then all Pepper heard was a toddler's voice chanting "Blue, blue, blue!" She froze and dismissed the meeting instantly.

"Pep? You still there?" Tony's voice asked in her ear a second later. He sounded exhausted, and she could hear the burbling of a small child close to the phone.

"I'm on my way home."

"Oh thank god." His words were followed by another crash in the background and Tony cursed and hung up.

Pepper could only imagine that someone had dropped the product of one of Tony's one night stands off on the doorstep. Pepper didn't want to even think about all the paper work this was going to create.

She didn't know if they were ready to be parents. She was sure they didn't have time to be – Tony was Iron Man, an Avenger, balancing work for SHIELD with his duties for SI. Pepper's job encompassed a hectic schedule and emergencies. They barely made time for each other, let alone a child.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be a mom, or have kids with Tony. Just not _yet._

Despite everything her imagination had provided her with on the way home, Pepper wasn't prepared to see Tony stood in the living room with two small dark haired boys. They were both wearing oversized t-shirts, and Tony had one of them balanced on his hip, the other clutching his pant leg as he peeked around at Pepper. It was actually an adorable sight, and Pepper couldn't help but smile at how exhausted Tony looked.

()

Tony had good reason to be exhausted.

A couple of hours after Pepper had left for work, Jarvis had woken Tony up urgently. "Sir, your presence is required in the workshop immediately."

Tony groaned, burying his head under the pillow. "Whazzamatter, J?" he mumbled.

"Dummy and You are both offline."

Tony sat up sharply, practically falling off the edge of his bed in his haste to get to the 'shop. "What? What happened, what were they doing?"

"Both were actually asleep, sir."

Tony shook his head, shifting anxiously in the elevator. "Then did something malfunction? What happened?!"

The elevator doors slide open and Jarvis' reply is lost as Tony catches sight of two small, naked boys running straight for him.

Tony's brain froze, and by the time he'd kick-started it again, they'd attached himself to his legs, holding on tightly, and they were making familiar, frightened chirping noises...

"Jarvis... is this... are they... Dummy and You?" he asked slowly, voice filled with disbelief. The two boys looked up at the sound of their names, confirming that. "Tony - Dummy" Dummy stated, voice panicky. Their eyes were a startling electric blue.

"It would appear so, sir," Jarvis answered, sounding just as befuddled as Tony felt. The two bots – no, boys – were pulling at him more frantically now. Tony instinctively dropped to his knees to hold them, murmuring comforting platitudes for a moment until they quietened.

Tony looked up, still in disbelief. "Pepper's going to kill me."

()

After he called Pepper, he spent the next hour trying to marshal the two upstairs, getting them away from the workshop that was far too dangerous for two tiny children. Jarvis had estimated that they were biologically about three, but neither of them could work out what the boys knew or remembered. He wrangled them into clothes, somehow. After nearly pulling a toolbox in top of himself in the workshop, Dummy refused to let go of him, and You was nearly as clingy. They weren't used to the human world yet, to fragile human bodies and Tony couldn't imagine how overwhelming their five new senses must be. He had no idea what to do for them except hold them and talk to them, telling them everything they'd missed while he'd been fixing them, for want of anything else to say.

It didn't even take Pepper an hour to get home, but Tony had never been so grateful to see her.

"Hey," Tony greeted, a tad nervously.

Pepper just shook her head, and Tony could see the same disbelief written across her face. He just smiled wryly at that – that will only get worse when she realises exactly where these two came from.

"Where... who...?" Pepper didn't know where to start.

At the sound of her voice, however, both boys looked straight at her. Dummy started bouncing excitedly in Tony's arms, and You finally let go of Tony's pant leg, taking wobbly steps towards her. "Pepper!" he says excitedly, and then within a couple of steps he's latched on to her leg instead.

Pepper's eyes widened even as she bent down to pick up the boy. Wordlessly, she looked to Tony for an explanation.

Tony looked almost apologetic. "Pepper... meet You... and Dummy."

Pepper stared at him. "Tell me you're joking."

Tony shook his head. "Sorry."

"But..." Pepper was lost for words, and it wasn't often that happened, but Tony knew exactly how she felt. "How?!"

"Not a clue. But the bots are gone and they were in the lab..." He shrugged. "Some kind of magic, I guess. Jarvis is looking in to it."

The boys had quieted now, still in the arms of Tony and Pepper. Dummy was still making the familiar chirping noises into Tony's neck, not quite calm yet, and Tony rubbed his back instinctively.

You rested his head on Pepper's shoulder, and she finally smiled. "I'm going to take a week off."

Tony looked so relieved it was almost comical. "You're a lifesaver Pep, you really are, I just, I have no idea what I'm doing..."

"Tony," Pepper interrupted firmly. She stepped closer to him, nudging his shoulder gently. "We'll figure it out. It will be fine. You'll be fine," she added, when Tony opened his mouth to protest. After all, whatever doubts Tony might have about being a father, whatever doubts Pepper might have about how they'd manage this... she knew they would manage. The boys were already family.

"So it's okay?" Tony sounded terribly vulnerable and nervous for a moment, and Pepper frowned to think that he might have thought she'd leave him _now._

"It's okay," she agreed, with a soft smile.

"Okay!" You repeated cheerfully. And loudly. Dummy lifted his head to glare at his brother. Tony and Pepper grinned at each other.

"Although," Pepper added, later that night as they stood over the two boys fast asleep on the pile of pillows and cushions in the living room, "names that aren't _Dummy_ and _You_ might be necessary."

Tony grinned and wrapped an arm around Pepper, and she dropped her head onto his shoulder. "Names aren't my forté," he admitted, kissing her hair. "Don't most parents get nine months to think up names?"

"Most people don't get two fully formed toddlers overnight," Pepper returned.

She took Tony's hand to tug him out of the room to their bedroom. She caught the way Tony glanced back at the boys with a soft smile, and smiled to herself. They'd be okay.


End file.
